Neither SK nor players can be immune from fair criticism, but players or manager getting 'stick' 15 minutes into the opening match of the season is bound to have a negative impact

Not Dundalk Football Club as I know it' - Stephen Kenny

The Lilywhites boss reacts to some of the recent criticism of himself and his side

Dundalk FC manager Stephen Kenny feels his team will be 'exceptional' this season, but he insists that they will have to 'earn the right' to be successful.

The Lilywhites opened their SSE Airtricity League Premier Division campaign with a scoreless draw at home to Bray Wanderers on Friday night, a match in which frustration built to palpable levels around Oriel Park.

And, speaking to The Democrat on Sunday, Kenny insisted that nobody should lose sight of where the club has come from when judging their current performances on the pitch.

"We need to understand where we have come from. All of a sudden, even at the ground the other night, I think there is an air of entitlement sometimes. We have to earn every victory and we must cherish every victory because they're hard to come by," Kenny said.

"All this talk about winning leagues every year and all of that, that's not real life. There's nothing wrong with having that ambition, but it's a tough league and every week you have to earn it (your results) and everyone must realise that.

"We don't want that air of complacency setting in. Don't forget we were bottom of the league as a club six-years ago and were in the First Division before that so nobody has any right to success.

"Ultimately, the players are being paid along the same lines, more or less, that they have always been paid. Obviously Shamrock Rovers made offers. They threw the kitchen sink at Seán Gannon and made offers to Brian Gartland and people like that. We have to keep our best players and obviously, there are increasing costs as we have moved from 40-week contracts to 52 which is the same as the other top clubs, Rovers, Cork, etc.

"We're disappointed not to have beaten Bray and it's one where we feel we let two-points get away from us, but it's a 36-match season and this thing that you need to win in the first (so many matches), we need to get away from that and focus on the players enjoying their football and going to win matches.

"We don't need that 'almost arrogance' that we're coming in (to win easily). I mean someone was shouting at me after 15-minutes the other day. We have never had that before (especially not during) the first day of the season. I heard one of the players getting a bit of stick over the two games and that's not Dundalk Football Club as I know it.

"I know it to be where supporters get behind the team even when we're losing. That's what has made us great and we must not lose sight of where we have come from.

"We need everyone pulling in the right direction and everyone being positive because this will be a great team this season. It just needs to take shape and to get fellas back, but it will be a really exceptional team," he added.

The Dundalk manager also revealed that he intends to sign a new striker this week with the aim of having him available for Friday night's visit to Shamrock Rovers.

That is expected to be the club's only piece of business before Thursday's transfer deadline.

Suppose when read in context like that, all fair comment regarding offers made for players. Ten new signings this season. That reminds me of Kenny's first season in charge. Building of a whole new team nearly.

I think he makes a fair point. I felt the atmosphere at Oriel last season was much quieter than the previous season, as if the air of excitement had changed to expectancy. Supporters have their part to play in the match night experience and this is what entices new fans so I hope for better this season...

I remember being sat in the clubs section behind the dugout in Tallaght for the Zenit game and there was this absolute weapon of a middle aged woman sat a few rows behind me giving our own players absolute pelters & dogs abuse from literally the first minute until the final whistle & not the first or last time I've seen her do it. I'm talking vile, vehement abuse for the entire 90 mins to our own lads on the pitch, not a word about the opposition or even a word of encouragement said to our lads. Against Zenit St feckin Petersburg & them with players bought for tens of millions of euro in the Europa League group stages. That's the mentality of some locals in a nutshell to be honest.

Seen it regularly from when we were in the graveyard for years when Giller was taking us back up to the SK era & the EL group stages & last season from some locals and seems it's already rearing it's ugly head this season, it did before a ball was even kicked over the winter with the takeover. As a blow in I mean absolutely no disrespect, but there's absolutely a streak of unadulterated pessimism and a nasty attitude comes out of completely unreasonable expectations and the need for instant gratification/ doling out of abuse to our own from a decent % of our support. I'm not just talking the usual kneejerk brigade that every club has but from my experience the ones we have are a million times worse than those from other towns/ cities/ clubs. It's a minority but by Jesus is it a vocal one.

Ian Foster: (On the expectations level at Dundalk): "That's why you want to be involved in management. If I don't do well I'll do my shopping in Newry!"

Captain - I agree with you that the type of abuse you outlined against Zenit is completely off the wall, unfair, unwarranted and counter-productive.

Even at a mild level giving 'stick' to players for a mistake or a misplaced pass is of no benefit to lifting the team and is only self-serving - even if it is understandable that some supporters will give vent to their frustrations when the team is struggling in a match they are expected to win.

The encouragement of the ovation the team got on the back of a 0-3 home hammering by Sligo achieves far more for the spirit and morale of the players, and helps build the special bond between players and fans

While I agree you almost all of your post, I'm mystified by how you equate caution or scepticism about the takeover with this nastiness and abuse. Perhaps I misunderstood this aspect of your post?

Ezeikial posts personal opinions and observations from this supporters perspective.

I have to admit that at the last few home matches I noticed the abuse hurled at players getting a LOT worse. Players make one simple mistake (eg. a through ball that nearly puts a player through being cut out) and they get serious abuse thrown at them. Having said that, the worst of it seems to come from the same group of 4 or 5 lads standing behind us, and I never noticed them up there before the last few games.

That's a post by dundalk formal on this message board that I just found, from over 15 years ago. Whenever the performances do not match what we know the team is capable of, then it's going to happen. People can post here for the next 15 years that they think it's wrong and shouldn't happen, and we should all get behind the team regardless of what's happening on the pitch, but they'll be pissing into the wind.

After the President's Cup collapse people expected a reaction and didn't get one. Anyone who thinks Dundalk fans are unique in that regard is just plain wrong. And Stephen Kenny is long enough in the game in Ireland to know that fans respond to what they see on the pitch. That's no justification for abuse, by the way - some of these people are arseholes I'd love to never see in Oriel, and any time someone near me behaves like that I tell them to fúck off and watch cartoons if they're that unhappy. But football is like every other walk of life - as soon as performance is seen to drop off people are quick to let you know. Mad to think football would be different.

Incidentally when Stephen Kenny is in reflective mood he's very engaging and I love listening to him. But he is *the worst* at using his interviews to send messages.

Ezeikial wrote:Captain - I agree with you that the type of abuse you outlined against Zenit is completely off the wall, unfair, unwarranted and counter-productive.

Even at a mild level giving 'stick' to players for a mistake or a misplaced pass is of no benefit to lifting the team and is only self-serving - even if it is understandable that some supporters will give vent to their frustrations when the team is struggling in a match they are expected to win.

The encouragement of the ovation the team got on the back of a 0-3 home hammering by Sligo achieves far more for the spirit and morale of the players, and helps build the special bond between players and fans

While I agree you almost all of your post, I'm mystified by how you equate caution or scepticism about the takeover with this nastiness and abuse. Perhaps I misunderstood this aspect of your post?

I mentioned that with regard to the why hasn't the potential (well before anything was signed or sealed) multi millionaire new owners personally called me to ask my opinion on how to do business and the we just got took over an hour ago why haven't they built a 50k all seater stadium and signed Messi and Ronaldo yet brigade!

Of course criticism & frustration is warranted when someone plays a shite pass/ gets caught out/ misses a sitter/ after a shite result etc of course but some of our lot go so far beyond the pale they may well end up on the Arran islands!

Ian Foster: (On the expectations level at Dundalk): "That's why you want to be involved in management. If I don't do well I'll do my shopping in Newry!"

Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny chats to Adrian Eames and Alan Cawley ahead of Friday's clash of Dundalk and Cork City. Also, League of Ireland legend Dermot Keely on his new venture in Spain and his days as a player and manager

Encouraging to hear that the planning is starting now. This is the first proper test of intent for the new investors

James Rogers‏@jamesdundalkDundalk manager Stephen Kenny says he has articulated to the club's board that he would like to start tying down players whose contract is due to expire at the end of this season. Seven of Friday night's starting 11 are out of contract at the end of 2018.